Improvement in watch-keys



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY LOHMEYER, OF SHREVEIORT, LOUISIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATCWKEVS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 161,421, dated March 30, 1875 application filed J nne 4, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY LOHMEYER, of Shreveport, in the parish of Caddo and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Watch-Keys; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part 01: this specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in watches.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in section of one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a view of the same in a different form. Fig. 3 represents the casing of a watch as it appears with my improvement attached thereto.

My invention consists in the various parts and combinations, as hereinafter specified and claimed, wherein A is a regular watch-key barrel provided at its upper end with a screw-thread, by which it is screwed into or onto the pusher O. The screw is either cut on the outside of this key, or it is formed on the outside of the pusher O, and the latter is screwed into a collar, b, that surrounds the upper portion of the key, or attached to the cap B.

Both forms are shown in the drawings, and I do not limit myself to the particular forms shown, but may employ any fastening by which the key may be secured to, and form a part of, the pusher of the watch-stem.

B is a cap, milled as usual, so that the key may be screwed by the thumb and finger to the pusher, and when it is desired to wind the watch the key is released from the stem, and afterward replaced after using. C is a push rod, placed within the pendant D of the watch, and having a limited movement therein, at-

I tachcd at its lower end to the case-spring E,

which it operates. This push-rod, which is the main feature of my invention, is constructed of a hollow tube or barrel, rigidly secured at its lower end to a stud or projection, d, on the case-spring, which stud projects up into the push-rod a short distance, as shown, thus closing the lower end of the hollow pnsh r'od. The outer end of the push-rod 0 receives the watch-key A, which is screwed down into it. This key and the hollow push-rod are made of such a length relative to each other that when the key is down in place there will be a small cavity or space, 0, at the bottom of the hollow push-rod, between the end of the key and the bottom of the hollow push-rod.

The advantages of the above-described arran gement are as follows: In all watches that I am aware of that use a removable watchkey secured in the pendant, when the removable key is withdrawn for use, almost a direct opening is left through the pendant to the interior of the watch, thereby endangering the contained movements by the admission of dirt, &c., whereas in mine there is no opening through the pendant or push-rod to the interior of the watch at all, because the end is closed, and any dust, 850., entering this hollow push-rod or the barrel of the key will be deposited and collected in the space 0, and, when necessary, can be readily removed therefrom.

The device is simple, readily replaceable if disarranged, and cheap of construction.

I am aware that removable watchkeys secured in the pendant of a watch, and forming the pusher for the casespring, are old. This, therefore, I do not broadly claim; but

What I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In combination with the pendant D of the watch and short watch-key A, the hollow pushrod 0 c, placed within the pendant, and acting directly on the case-spring, closed at its lower end by the stud (Z on the case-spring, and receiving and holding within its top end the milled-head watch-key A 13, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 2d day of June, 1874.

HENRY LOHMEYER.

Witnesses:

D. E. DUTROW, ALBERT PATTANL 

